Today I will be making 11 cakes. 11 of the same cake – I’m
not totally insane. Labolis has been a constantly evolving and beautiful beast,
part immersive theatre, part scavenger hunt, part role playing game and part
art kaleidoscope. The amazing Ultra Violets have the fifth Labolis this weekend
and it is gearing up to be the best yet.
I was asked to play a ‘Mad Chef’ and create something
suitably surreal for the participants to eat during their experience. After
some conceptual clambering I settled upon a bleeding beetroot chocolate cake.
Something suitably delicious, with an earthy note that is visually arresting was
a hard spec to follow but I made it in the end.
This post is as much about the recipe as it is about my
trials and tribulations over the day of baking 11 cakes. I’ve already decided
that the blood filling (red fruit coulis, maple syrup, treacle and red food
colouring) and the ganache icing will be made in one batch so i can concentrate
on the conveyor belt of cakes. I’m hoping the weather is suitably damp and cool
in Manchester so I can get some respite outside away from the kitchen inferno.
The pictures should be pretty kick-ass too, the kitchen I’m
working in has windows. Crazy what happens when you live away from London, the
mod cons you get.
After this weekend I’m aiming to be a better actor,
performer and mass caterer – although one out of three would suit me well.
Bleeding Beetroot Chocolate Cake
Cake
200g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
200g softened butter
135g plain flour
1 heaped tbsp baking powder
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
250g puréed cooked beetroot
5 eggs at room temperature - separated
200g caster sugar
Ganache
200g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
200ml double cream
4 tbsp golden syrup
Filling
200g fresh or frozen raspberries
1 tbsp treacle
3 tbsp maple syrup
50g icing sugar
heat the oven to 180C then grease and line two 20cm spring form tins.
Whisk egg whites in stand alone mixer until at the stiff peaks stage.
Meanwhile whisk egg yolks until pale and fluffy and mix in with beetroot purée.
Heat chocolate in a bowl over a pan in boiling water making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water directly. Once melted add the butter, cubed, and stir until melted and glossy. Leave to cool for a few minutes.
With the mixer running tip the sugar slowly into the egg whites and mix until they resemble a good marshmallow mix.
Add the cooled chocolate mix to the beetroot and egg yolk mix and fold in thoroughly. Sieve in the flour, cocoa, ginger and baking powder and fold in thoroughly till no four can be detected in the mix. Finally add the egg whites and fold through gently with a metal spoon until you reach a smooth mousse like consistency with volume.
Bake for 30 mins and allow to cool while you make the filling and ganache.
For the filling process the raspberries in a food processor and pass through a sieve to remove seeds. Add raspberry purée, syrup, treacle and icing sugar back to food processor and process for 5 minutes and refrigerate until using.
For the ganache tip cream, chocolate and syrup into a pan, heat slowly, stirring continuously until glossy. Leave in pan to stay warm for easy pouring.
Tip and spread filling over base cake and top with remaining cake. Pour over ganache and smooth over with palette knife.
Eat. Scream, Run....
heat the oven to 180C then grease and line two 20cm spring form tins.
Whisk egg whites in stand alone mixer until at the stiff peaks stage.
Meanwhile whisk egg yolks until pale and fluffy and mix in with beetroot purée.
Heat chocolate in a bowl over a pan in boiling water making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water directly. Once melted add the butter, cubed, and stir until melted and glossy. Leave to cool for a few minutes.
With the mixer running tip the sugar slowly into the egg whites and mix until they resemble a good marshmallow mix.
Add the cooled chocolate mix to the beetroot and egg yolk mix and fold in thoroughly. Sieve in the flour, cocoa, ginger and baking powder and fold in thoroughly till no four can be detected in the mix. Finally add the egg whites and fold through gently with a metal spoon until you reach a smooth mousse like consistency with volume.
Bake for 30 mins and allow to cool while you make the filling and ganache.
For the filling process the raspberries in a food processor and pass through a sieve to remove seeds. Add raspberry purée, syrup, treacle and icing sugar back to food processor and process for 5 minutes and refrigerate until using.
For the ganache tip cream, chocolate and syrup into a pan, heat slowly, stirring continuously until glossy. Leave in pan to stay warm for easy pouring.
Tip and spread filling over base cake and top with remaining cake. Pour over ganache and smooth over with palette knife.
Eat. Scream, Run....
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